In the media

The show airs on Tuesday nights on channel 174 at 8pm.

About the Show:

The Great South African Bake Off is the ultimate baking battle where passionate amateur baking fans compete to be crowned the South Africans Best Amateur Baker. Over the course of 10 50 minute-long episodes, the series follows the trials and tribulations of the competitors, young and old, from every background and every corner of South Africa, as they attempt to prove their baking prowess. Each week the bakers tackle a different baking skill, which become progressively more difficult as the competition unfolds.

Each week, the bakers have a theme to follow and create their own interpretation of a signature and showstopper bake.

Signature Bake

Testing the bakers’ personality, creative flair and baking ability, the main challenge here is to produce something cute, rustic and altogether home-made-looking. It’s in this test that the Bakers get to show off their tried-and-tested hand cooked bites.

Technical Bake

This challenge separates the wheat from the chaff. Take one basic recipe, with the same ingredients and instructions, and ask our bakers to produce the finished product… sound easy? Well, any variation on the finished product will be a result of his or her own technical knowledge and experience – or lack of. Bakers are laid bare in this task and this is where the pressure’s really on in the bake-off.

Each technical recipe is represented by one of us judges. The method is exceptional short and the bakers need to fill in the gaps. They may be given the temperature of the bake, but not the length of time it needs to bake or visa versa the following week.

Showstopper Bake

The oven gloves are off in this final challenge where the bakers are able to showcase their depth of skill and talent. The complexities of this task call for a professional standard in taste and appearance. Are they up to it? The judges will be looking for the most impressive and elaborate creations – that better taste first-class too.

The Judging

Shirley and I judge the ‘signature bake’ at each of the baker’s workstations.

The ‘technical bake’ is judged on the ‘alter’ and is a blind tasting for us. We have no idea who’s bake is who’s, often surprising us along the way.

The ‘showstopper bake’ is brought up to the ‘alter’ by the baker.

Shirley and I evaluate all THREE bakes that each baker has produced and on that basis do we make our decision.

The key to baking is consistency, but don’t play it too safe.

The person who is sent home has under performed on all THREE bakes against all the other bakers for that week. We do not take into consideration the pervious weeks bakes, it’s only based on that weeks bakes.

The ‘star baker’ is someone who we choose that has shown three impressive bakes against everyone else.